IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,497,309
Granted Patent B1
US 12,497,309 · App. 19/240,244 · Granted Dec 16, 2025

Fluid catalytic cracking catalyst for organic pollutant wastewater treatment

Inventors: Khalid Alhooshani (Dhahran, SA); Shaimá Ibrahim Alsabbahen (Dhahran, SA); Abdulkadir Tanimu (Dhahran, SA)
Assignee: King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals
C02F1/725B01J29/06C02F2101/30
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,497,309
App. No.
19/240,244
Granted
Dec 16, 2025
Kind
B1
Abstract

A method of removing an organic pollutant from water that includes contacting contaminated water with a filtration membrane including sorbent particles of a spent fluid catalytic cracking catalyst (FCC) that includes a porous aluminosilicate material, and a carbonaceous material disposed on a surface of the porous aluminosilicate material, and a polymer support, to form a contaminated membrane, and collecting a purified water. The sorbent particles include 8.0-50.0 atom % carbon, based on a total number of atoms of sorbent particles, and the organic pollutant is at least one selected from the group including a dye, a phenol, a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, an herbicide, a pesticide, and a persistent organic pollutant.

Claims (36)

1 . A method of removing organic pollutants from water comprising the steps of:

providing a filtration membrane;

the filtration membrane comprising:

a porous polymer support;

sorbent particles of a spent fluid catalytic cracking catalyst that include a porous aluminosilicate material formed as a layer on the porous polymer support defining an upstream surface and a downstream permeate surface, wherein the sorbent particles comprise 8.0 to 50.0 atom % carbon, based on a total number of atoms of sorbent particles;

a carbonaceous material disposed on the upstream surface of the porous aluminosilicate material; and

a silica coating disposed on the upstream surface of the porous aluminosilicate material and a surface of the carbonaceous material;

flowing water contaminated with at least one organic pollutant that is selected from the group consisting of: a dye, a phenol, a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, a herbicide, a pesticide, a persistent organic pollutant, and combinations thereof, through pores of the filtration membrane, producing a permeate with a reduced organic pollutant concentration and a contaminated membrane.

2 . The method of removing organic pollutants from water of claim 1 , wherein the porous aluminosilicate material is a USY zeolite.

3 . The method of removing organic pollutants from water of claim 1 , wherein the sorbent particles comprise 18.0 to 30.0 atom % carbon, based on a total number of atoms of sorbent particles.

4 . The method of removing organic pollutants from water of claim 1 , wherein the sorbent particles have a silicon to aluminum atomic ratio of 2.70 to 4.50.

5 . The method of removing organic pollutants from water of claim 1 , wherein the sorbent particles have:

a BET surface area of 115 to 150 m 2 /g;

a pore volume of 0.1500 to 0.1850 cm 3 /g, and

a mean pore size of 4.75 to 6.00 nm.

6 . The method of removing organic pollutants from water of claim 1 , wherein the sorbent particles have a mean particle size of 25 to 400 μm.

7 . The method of removing organic pollutants from water of claim 1 , wherein the porous polymer support is a polypropylene support.

8 . The method of removing organic pollutants from water of claim 1 , wherein the porous polymer support has a mean pore size of 0.10 to 0.50 μm.

9 . The method of removing organic pollutants from water of claim 1 , wherein the carbonaceous material is a fluid catalytic cracking coke.

10 . The method of removing organic pollutants from water of claim 1 , further comprising recovering the organic pollutant by contacting the contaminated membrane with an elution solvent to form a contaminated solvent comprising the organic pollutant; and collecting the contaminated solvent.

11 . The method of removing organic pollutants from water of claim 10 , wherein the elution solvent is at least one elution solvent selected from the group consisting of 2-propanol, acetone, methylene chloride, chloroform, methanol, ethyl acetate, and combinations thereof.

12 . The method of removing organic pollutants from water of claim 1 , wherein the organic pollutant is at least one organic pollutant selected from the group consisting of isoprocarb, atrazine, primicarb, penconazole, chlorfenapr, mefenacet, and combinations thereof.

13 . The method of removing organic pollutants from water of claim 1 , further comprising:

forming the filtration membrane by washing a spent fluid catalytic cracking catalyst with an alcohol having 1 to 5 carbon atoms to form an untreated aluminosilicate material; and

disposing the untreated aluminosilicate material on the porous polymer support.

14 . The method of removing organic pollutants from water of claim 1 , further comprising:

forming the filtration membrane by washing a spent fluid catalytic cracking catalyst with an alcohol having 1 to 5 carbon atoms to form an untreated aluminosilicate material;

calcining the untreated aluminosilicate material at 500 to 750° C. for 1 to 12 hours to form a treated aluminosilicate material; and

disposing the treated aluminosilicate material on the porous polymer support.

15 . The method of removing organic pollutants from water of claim 1 , further comprising:

forming the filtration membrane by washing a spent fluid catalytic cracking catalyst with an alcohol having 1 to 5 carbon atoms to form an untreated aluminosilicate material;

solvothermally treating a coating mixture comprising the untreated aluminosilicate material and an organosilane at 75 to 125° C. for 8 to 48 hours to form an intermediate; and

calcining the intermediate at 500 to 750° C. for 1 to 12 hours to form a coated aluminosilicate material; and

disposing the coated aluminosilicate material on the porous polymer support.

16 . The method of removing organic pollutants from water of claim 15 , wherein the organosilane is tetraethoxysilane.

17 . The method of removing organic pollutants from water of claim 15 , wherein the coating mixture has a weight ratio of the untreated aluminosilicate material to the organosilane of 2:1 to 1:2.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 17, 2025
From: ALHOOSHANI, KHALID; ALSABBAHEN, SHAIMA' IBRAHIM; TANIMU, ABDULKADIR
To: KING FAHD UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM AND MINERALS
Reel/Frame 071433/0151 →
Continuity (1)
Provisional Application 63727822 · Dec 4, 2024
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